Rather stout erect or spreading herb up to 45 cm. long, ± clad in stiff fulvous appressed hairs; stock stout, main roots deeply descending. Lvs mostly radical on slender petioles 7-15-(20) cm. long; sheaths pilose. Lamina ± 3 × 4 cm., subreniform to ovate or deltoid-cuneate, deeply 3-partite; segs irregularly 3-7-fid. Cauline lvs opp., smaller, rather less deeply cut. Scapes or peduncles 1-2 pairs, up to 5 cm. long, axillary. Fls 8-14 mm. diam.; sepals 5, spreading; petals 5, yellow, obovate-oblong, ± size of sepals; gland 1 minute, below middle. Fruiting heads ovoid to globose, 8-10 mm. diam.; receptacle cylindric, papillose. Achenes ± compressed, margined, glab., 3-4 × 1·5-2 mm., obliquely oval in outline; style < 1 mm. long, straight or nearly so.

2n = 48

Similar to subspecies subantarcticus but more strongly puberulous, never glabrous, and lacking dark colouration. Laminae less deeply trilobate.

Herba subspeciei subantarcticus similis sed densiore veste pilorum, nunquam glabra, haud subnigra colorata; lobis laminarum brevioribus.

Tufted perennial; rhizome 0; stem up to 30 cm tall at fruiting, with appressed hairs. Basal lvs long-petiolate, ternate or ternatifid, triangular-ovate, 1-4 cm diam., with appressed hairs; leaflets and lobes again 3-lobed, toothed. Cauline lvs similar to basal, opposite, smaller. Fls 1-3 per stem, 15-20 mm diam.; pedicels elongating at fruiting, with short appressed hairs. Sepals spreading, with appressed hairs. Petals 5, brownish yellow, narrowly obovate, with sparse appressed hairs on back; nectary single, c. 2 mm from petal base, covered by a small rounded scale. Receptacle hairy. Achenes very numerous, flattened, usually with a few appressed hairs on angles; body 2-2.5 mm long; beak straight, tapering, flattened, c. 1 mm long.